


BOOM

by iggycakes



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-24 17:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21881437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iggycakes/pseuds/iggycakes
Summary: Banri and Juza “pretend” to be boyfriends for a week to prove who would be the better boyfriend.You’ll never guess what happens next!
Relationships: Hyoudou Juuza/Settsu Banri
Comments: 41
Kudos: 466





	1. Sunday

**Author's Note:**

> Most of this fic is written already, but I figured I'd post it in parts to make it more... digestible?

“You’re kind of obsessed with him, aren’t you?”

“HAH?”

“Hey, eyes on the screen! We’ve got incoming, Neo-kun.”

“Who the fuck is obsessed with who?”

The zombies on the flatscreen swarmed them. Itaru swore under his breath as he used up the last chunk of his ammo and his trusty partner wasn’t even looking at the screen because he was busy looking pissed off. Ah well, he was getting tired of this game already anyway. He sighed, dropping the controller and leaning back on the couch.

“ _ You’re  _ obsessed with Juza,” Itaru specified.

Banri threw his arms up angrily. “What the hell gave you that insane idea?”

“Uh, you’ve literally been talking about him for the past thirty minutes. Have some self-awareness.” 

“I wasn’t… That’s…” Banri furrowed his brow. Eventually, he gave up on words and collapsed on the other side of the couch with a frustrated growl. “Fuck man, was I really?”

“‘Can you believe that Hyodo? Took my fucking limited edition pudding from the fridge then had the gall to say he didn’t. Why’s he pretend he doesn’t like sweets anyway? It’s so stupid I wanna punch him~’” Itaru did his worst attempt at a Banri’s impression.

“Aren’t you supposed to be an actor?”

“It’s revenge for making us lose that last game. We were supposed to get a new high score tonight.” 

Banri sighed. “Yeah, yeah. My bad.”

“Anyway, don’t take it so seriously.”

“I’m not!” He sat up again. “It’s just…”

It was true that he’d been thinking about Hyodo a lot lately. Not on purpose. Banri just couldn’t help it. The guy was literally always doing something or other to piss him off. Whether it be snoring, taking his pudding, putting ridiculous amounts of effort into things that just seemed easy. He always came back from showers wearing nothing but a towel and he never dried himself off completely either. Did nobody teach him self-respect? As if Banri needed any more reason to feel inferior to Hyodo. Waltzing around half naked with those big muscles of his. Ugh.

Shit.

Not that he  _ was  _ inferior to Hyodo. Because he most definitely wasn’t. Banri was better than him at almost literally everything. 

So, why was he always so damn frustrated?

“If you’re gonna brood, mind doing that in your own room? I still got a  _ loooong  _ night ahead.” 

“Must be nice being an adult without responsibilities.” 

Itaru smirked. “I have plenty of responsibilities and I take care of all of them for the free time to game.”

“Sure, sure.” Banri got up from the couch. “I’m leaving then.”

“Yeah, get out. Go enjoy your youth, Mr. High Schooler.” 

“You’re the last person I want to hear that from, Itaru-san.”

Banri closed the door behind him as he left Itaru’s room. It shut with a click and he stood in the hall for a moment. Tch. Who’s obsessed? He’s not obsessed. He stomped back to his room. Annoyed. Why did Itaru put such an unpleasant thought in his mind? Why was he even still thinking about it in the first place?

He opened the door to his own room, finding Hyodo sitting at their shared table. He was reading a recipe book. It looked like it was for desserts. Of course it was.

“Great, now my mood’s even worse.” Banri crossed the room.

“That’s not my problem.”

“Say that again. I dare you.” Banri stopped. 

Hyodo looked up from the book. “What’s got you all worked up?”

“Nothing!” 

Banri crashed into bed, shoving his face in his pillow lowkey feeling like he should’ve just stayed the night in Itaru’s room or something. He didn’t want to be here anymore. Not when his thoughts were a mess and Hyodo was in the same goddamn room.

“What are you reading that for anyway? Gonna start making your own sweets now?”

Hyodo had a conflicted look on his face. “No. Muku said… Well. It’s not any of your business.”

That was true.

“Fine then.”

Banri turned around, already regretting starting a conversation in the first place. It’s been a while since he’d been  _ this  _ upset about Hyodo. Not that he was ever  _ not  _ upset. But most days they were able to get on just fine. And by fine, he meant without  _ totally  _ blowing up at each other. Partly because they didn’t want to cause problems for the rest of their roommates. Partly because… deep down, Banri knew his problems with Hyodo were mostly problems with himself. He wasn’t ashamed of it. In fact, he vowed to knock Hyodo down a peg someday. And he would. He refused to lose to him. There was a lot more than  _ just _ his pride at stake. It was something about principle too. 

Hyodo was an idiot. An idiot with a scary face, strong fists and a heart so soft it made Banri feel  _ sick.  _ He was a delinquent  _ and  _ a good dude? It was cheesier than any mid-2000s romantic drama. Banri wouldn’t be surprised if the guy saved a stray cat stuck out in the rain one day. Ugh, what the fuck was he thinking? He wasn’t Muku. Why was he having weird fantasies now?

Why…?

It was his phone ringing that woke him up the next morning. He groped around the bed for it, groaning uncomfortably. By the time he found it, it stopped ringing and Banri painfully sat up, still dazed. Huh? When the hell did he fall asleep? He didn’t even take off his uniform last night.

Banri stared at the blanket that slid off him as he got up. It wasn’t his own. It was Hyodo’s blanket. Because he’d fallen asleep on top of his sheets. Banri pulled the blanket off himself.

“Dude should’ve minded his own business!” He croaked out, about to throw the blanket across the room. But he stopped and stared at it instead. 

What was up with him? It wasn’t like him to stew in such bullshit for so long. 

Banri crawled out of bed, dumping the blanket on Hyodo’s bed before throwing a quick look at himself in the mirror. He looked like shit and his uniform was all crumpled up. He couldn’t go out like this. Maybe he should just skip classes today. 

Oh right, his phone rang didn’t it?

He checked it, finding a missed call from Itaru and a bunch of follow-up texts.

_ <taruchi> u still here? _

_ <taruchi> sakuya 4got his lunch _

_ <taruchi> director wondering if u can bring it to him _

_ <taruchi> also _

_ <taruchi> if ur still in bed, ur gonna b l8 _

So much for skipping classes. 

_ <NEO> y ru even awake _

_ <taruchi> didnt sleep yet _

Banri sighed as he tried to pat down his uniform. He didn’t have to time to iron it, so he threw on a light coat instead. He’d just find a spare blazer when he got to school. Or just take a nap on the roof after he delivered Sakuya’s lunch. Whatever.

“Thanks so much, Banri-kun!” Izumi’s cheerful demeanor when he arrived downstairs did cheer him up a little though. She handed him two packaged lunch boxes. “There’s one for you, too.”

“Is this…?”

“Curry!”

“Of course.”

“You know what they say about day-after curry, right? It’s always tastier. And I think I’ve really mastered the right ratio of… Wait, Banri-kun? Are you listening?”

“I’m going to be late!”

Banri respectfully bowed out of the conversation, bolting out the front door before the director could catch him. He wondered vaguely if maybe Sakuya didn’t  _ intentionally  _ left the curry lunch behind, but he seemed too nice to do that. Well, he supposed he’d find out when he delivered it.

“Thanks, Banri!”

He sure was getting a lot of appreciation today.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Oh, by the way, did Juza end up asking you…?” Sakuya started, but as soon as he got midway through his sentence seemed to regret it. “Uh, never mind actually.”

Banri raised a brown. “What about Hyodo?”

“No! It’s nothing actually. Thanks for the lunch!”

He ran off.

Damn.

What was that about?

-0-

“Oy, Hyodo.”

“What?”

“There any reason Sakuya mentioned you to me?”

From Banri’s vantage point, he couldn’t really tell if Hyodo reacted at all to his comment. The darker haired boy had his back towards him, sitting at his desk. He’d working at something all evening and the two spent a relatively peaceful evening so far. 

Banri had decided thinking too hard about Hyodo was getting him nowhere, so he shoved the thoughts towards the back of his mind. He wouldn’t think about it at all. He was going to behave normally and pretend nothing weird was going on.  _ Because  _ nothing weird was going on. Itaru just happened to say something a bit off-putting and it threw Banri for a loop. That’s it. Why’d he let Itaru get to him in the first place? Stupid.

“What are you talking about?”

“He said you had something to ask me.”

“I didn’t.”

“Huh, alright.”

Okay, then. Be like that. See if he gave a damn. Banri hopped off his bunk. There was nothing to do and he ran out of LP on his game. Might as well see if anyone’s hanging out in the living room. 

As he climbed down, he caught a glimpse of it. Hyodo’s desk was full of open magazines with various tutorials for handmade gifts and date ideas. Banri grinned, walking up behind his roommate and picking up the magazine Hyodo was currently reading.  _ Hot Tips To Show You Care!  _ He had to hold himself back from outright bursting, but he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Did you get yourself a girlfriend or something, Hyodo?”

The other boy promptly stood up and spun around. He tried to grab the magazine back, but Banri stood his ground and Hyodo ended up grabbing his wrist instead.

“Hand it back.”

“No way! This is hilarious.” He waved the magazine around, trying to escape Hyodo’s grasp. “Is that why Sakuya said you wanted to talk to me? You know, I have a lot of dating experience.”

“Is that something you should boast about? Doesn’t that just mean you’re shallow?”

“Hah?” Banri was mad now. “Are you joking? I’m trying to fucking help you. Isn’t asking a lot better than reading these dumb advice columns? Where did you get these anyway?”

“Taichi.”

“Of course,” Banri pulled his hand away and threw the magazine back on Hyodo’s desk. 

Hyodo looked at Banri with a scrunched up expression. “I don’t need  _ your  _ help.”

“Is that right?”

“It is.”

“Well, too bad because I’m a  _ great  _ boyfriend and I’d have  _ great  _ advice to give a dense idiot like you.”

They stared each other down in silence for a moment. Banri couldn’t read Hyodo’s expression at all. He seemed strangely conflicted, maybe even embarrassed about something? Why? They were high schoolers. Romance and dating was part of the package. Banri did his fair share of fooling around. Although, he hasn’t lately because theatre was getting to be a lot of fun. And sure, Hyodo didn’t  _ look  _ the dating type but. Well, it’s not like Banri actually knew what Hyodo got up to in his free time. 

“Prove it, then.”

“Wait, what?”

“Prove that you’re a great boyfriend,” Hyodo said simply.

“How the hell are you expecting me to do that, idiot? I’m not dating anyone right now.”

“You could date me.”

That reply came too quickly.

Banri gawked. “Pfft, I won’t be provoked. What’s in it for me?”

“Fine. A competition then.” Hyodo’s eyes were fixed on Banri’s face. “I’ll prove I’m the better boyfriend.”

How the fuck did it turn out like this?

“You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m serious. We could use the acting practice anyway, couldn’t we?”

Oh, so it was a fucking theatre thing wasn’t it? 

“Yeah, fine. Whatever. I’ll bite.” Banri sighed and held one finger up. “One week. Let’s do this for one week.”

“Deal.”

“Good.”


	2. Monday -> Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mixed feelings abound as Banri and Juza figure out how to navigate this whole... "pretending" thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there anything better than unresolved sexual tension? (Well, plenty of things, but that's not the point. Enjoy the chapter!)

Easier said than done.

But Banri refused to back down from the challenge. Especially not when he so clearly had the advantage. He’s had plenty of girlfriends. He’s gone on hundreds of dates. He knew how this worked. He just needed to act it out. With Hyodo. Somehow. For a whole week.

Fuck.

“Are you an idiot?” Tenma was incredulous. “Why are you telling _ me _ all this?”

“You’re a professional, aren’t you? I’m sure you’ve had to play romance with people you don’t even like plenty of times.” 

Also, if he went to Itaru, Banri would never hear the end of it. That guy would definitely make fun of him. Tenma was definitely the safer person to confide in.

“Of course,” Tenma replied, proud.

Stroking his ego always worked.

“Great. So, come on, what’s the trick? There’s gotta be something.”

“Not often we see the great Banri actually  _ struggling.  _ It’s a refreshing look.”

“Tenma,  _ come on. _ ”

“Alright, alright,” Tenma shifted and gave Banri a serious look. “It’s all a matter of perspective. Even if you don’t like a person, there’s gotta be  _ something  _ good about them. Just use that as a crutch.”

Banri groaned. “Ugh, perspective huh? Thanks a lot. Super unhelpful.”

“And  _ you’re _ being ungrateful. Just call the challenge off, then.”

“No way! I’m not a coward. Besides, I’m convinced I can prove I’m better than he is. And, if I win, won’t it mean I’m the better actor too?”

Tenma looked at him like he was out of his mind, but before he could say anything, the door to his room opened. 

Yuki walked in. “Oh, it’s the neo yankee.”

“Yo,” Banri got up and headed for the door. “Don’t mind me. I’m just leaving anyway.”

“Hmmm,” the boy’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Did I interrupt something?”

“Not at all! Alright, bye.”

The door shut. Yuki turned to Tenma, eyes still narrowed. “Okay?”

“Trust me, you won’t care enough.”

“That’s probably true.”

-0-

_ Monday AM _

The first he heard from Hyodo that morning was right before lunch. He had half-expected Hyodo to wake him up early enough to make first period, but no such wake-up call came. Fine by him. Banri didn’t particularly enjoy being woken up by other people and seeing Hyodo’s face first thing in the morning sounded like a fast track to a sour day.

Damn it. He needed to stop thinking like that. How was he supposed to be a good boyfriend if he kept that up? Perspective, perspective. 

_ <hyodo> r u at school? _

_ <banri> yeah _

_ <hyodo> good _

What was that supposed to mean?

_ <banri> u tryin 2 b my mom or somthin? _

_ <hyodo> no _

_ <banri> txts can be more than one word, u kno _

_ <hyodo> i kno _

That was only one word extra, idiot. Banri chuckled to himself.

_ <banri> wat would u have done if i wasnt at school? _

_ <hyodo> nothin _

_ <hyodo> … _

_ <hyodo> i was tryin to make conversation _

Oh my god. Why was he so awkward?

_ <banri> mmmm 2 bad _

_ <banri> thought u were gonna punish me _

_ <banri> nd id be like _

_ <banri> oooh juza-kunnn~ srry im such a delinquent _

_ <banri> haha jk _

_ <banri> … _

_ <banri> dnt fcking take it srsly dude _

_ <hyodo> bad joke _

Banri put his phone away. 

It’s true that he was at school, but he just got there and it was too late to get to any of his morning classes, so he didn’t. He went killed time on the roof, staring up at the cloudy sky pensively. Banri didn’t think it was possible to have a normal conversation with Hyodo, but they were talking just fine over text. 

He thought about his next move. How was he going to tackle this week? How could he guarantee victory? He needed to convince Hyodo he cared about him. He needed to show him a good time. They needed to have fun. Hah. Fun with Hyodo, huh? If Banri changed the way he treated Hyodo immediately, there’s no way he’d be convinced. It would be obvious he was acting. So, Banri needed to prove sincerity. Somehow.

His phone buzzed again.

_ <hyodo> oh _

_ <hyodo> u were teasing me _

Banri laughed.

_ <banri> no shit _

-0-

_ Monday PM _

  
  


When Banri spotted Hyodo waiting by the entrance gates, he realized immediately that’s why he asked if he was at school in the first place. Sly bastard. Picking up your girlfriend after classes was a classic move. He got played. Banri didn’t expect Hyodo to be so proactive about this whole dating thing. A miscalculation on his part.

“Huh, isn’t that Juza-kun?”

Sometimes Sakuya would find him by the shoe lockers and they would leave together. Sometimes Masumi was with them as well, but he usually vanished pretty quick if they dallied around too long after the bell. Banri put on his outdoor shoes and closed the door to his locker.

“Yeah, ain’t that cute?”

Sakuya blinked at Banri. “Cute?”

Oh right, that wasn’t going to make sense to him. Duh.

“Uh, never mind. Let’s just go.”

When they approached the gates, Hyodo looked surprised to find Sakuya with him. Did he forget they were in the same year? 

“uza-kun!” Sakuya greeted cheerfully. “What brings you all the way to Hanasaki?”

Hyodo glanced at Banri for a moment, as if he’d have the answer. Which he didn’t. Banri merely grinned, excited to see how he was going to spin it. 

“I came to see Settsu.”

Sakuya’s expression folded into worry. 

“Haha, don’t worry. It’s not for a fight,” Banri gave the shorter boy a pat on the shoulder. “But, we’ll probably be late, so let the others know?”

“Alright… If you say so,” Sakuya looked at them both with concern. “But if you’re too late, I’m going to tell Sakyo-san!”

“Yeesh, don’t do that.”

“Don’t do anything to get yourselves in trouble then,” the redhead smiled and waved as he went on ahead.

Banri waved back until Sakuya’s back faded down the block. When he was gone, he turned to Hyodo and smirked. “What were you going to do if I skipped afternoon classes? You would’ve wait here for nothing.”

“I didn’t think you would.”

“What an uncute answer,” Banri sighed. “So, what now?”

“That up to me?”

“Well, I didn’t expect you to come all the way and pick me up, so I’ll give you a one day advantage.” Banri took a step towards Hyodo, eyeing him closely as he brought his face to his. “So, why don’t you show me what you’ve got?”

Hyodo levels his gaze for a moment before looking away, embarrassed. “You’re teasing me again.”

Banri moved back and laughed. “You’re fault for getting riled up so easily.”

Hyodo considered that for a moment, then moved on. “It’s Omi-san’s turn to cook tonight, so I don’t want to miss dinner.”

“Wow, real romantic of you.”

“The magazines said we should take a walk in the park before going out to eat at some fancy restaurant but, somehow, I don’t think you’re into either of those things.”

Banri was caught off guard by Hyodo’s thoughtfulness. Was he… seriously thinking about him properly?

No, no, no, no… Calm down, Banri. Don’t fall for it.

“Yeah, I know you probably just want whatever dessert Omi’s gonna make.”

“That ain’t it.” He denied.

“Sure it’s not.” Banri started walking. “Come on then, let’s go home.”

-0-

_ Tuesday AM _

  
  


“Hyodo, let’s go to school together.”

Banri was going to hold back anymore. No more thinking. If Hyodo was going to play it straight, then so was he. He woke up bright and early and climbed over to Hyodo’s bunk. The guy was still sleeping so peacefully. Maybe it was because of the mindset he was in, but it was sort of cute. 

“Hyo~do~”

“Nnn…” He shifted slightly, but showed no signs of waking.

It made Banri want to tease him.

He poked at his cheek.

“Gghnn..” 

Banri climbed onto the bunk and leaned down, careful not to disturb the bed too much as his lips came closer and closer to Hyodo’s face. Gently, Banri exhaled hot breath down Hyodo’s ear and the other boy’s reaction was almost instant.

Hyodo awoke in a slight panic. Banri dodged as his roommate threw a careless slug in his direction from shock and surprised. It took a second for Hyodo to regain sense and realize he was alright. He found Banri’s gaze and stared for a moment. 

“Settsu,” he said with absolutely no emotion.

“Morning, love.” B anri teased.

“M...Morning,” Hyodo blinked a couple of times and wiped his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“Waking you up. What’s it look like?”

He glanced away and pulled the sheets up to hide under. “I’m awake now.”

“What are you getting all embarrassed for?” 

“No reason.”

“Really?” Banri climbed on top of him. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with being hard in the morning. Happens to everyone.”

“That’s not,”

Banri hovered above the other boy, tugging at the sheets with one hand. “You sure? If that’s the case, you won’t mind if I pull--”

Hyodo grabbed his wrist. “Don’t push your luck, Settsu.”

“Ooh, scary~” Banri sneered down at him. “You forget I ain’t afraid of you, Hyodo.”

There was a pause before they went at it.

Hyodo tried to sit up and twist Banri around to overcome him, but Banri held his ground. It was true that Hyodo probably  _ was  _ stronger than him when it came to raw physical strength. But Banri was smarter. And he was on top.

There’s no way he could lose.

Or so Banri thought.

He didn’t mean to loosen up. He didn’t think he did. But the pressure Hyodo exerted was immense. Banri was quickly losing the advantage he had.

“Fuck!” Banri swore as Hyodo flipped their positions so that he was pinned under the darker haired boy. 

He fully expected Hyodo to move away as soon as it was clear he won, but he didn’t. He stared down at Banri, his gaze languid like he was still half-asleep. And Banri felt like his voice was caught in his throat. Why was he looking at him like that?

“Hey, you gonna get off me or what?” 

Banri’s voice snapped Hyodo out of whatever daze he was in. He moved aside, giving Banri enough room to get down from the bunk. 

“Right well… I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

Banri could feel Hyodo’s gaze burning holes into his back until he left the room, but he didn’t dare turn around. He stepped into the hall, still not looking back, and briskly made his way to the living room.

What the fuck was  _ that _ ?

-0-

_ Tuesday PM _

  
  


They barely said a word to each other on the way to the train station. When came the time split ways, Settsu gave him an awkward wave and walked away. Juza tried texting him when he got to school, but he got no reply. All day. It bothered him more than it should’ve and he had no idea where to begin figuring out why.

This boyfriend thing was extremely hard. None of what he read in the magazines or in the manga Muku lent him seemed to apply to their situation. He couldn’t picture any of the advice working on Banri. Was it because he wasn’t a woman? Because they weren’t actually dating? They weren’t even friends…

But this morning.

It was a stray thought, one he didn’t expect to have, but as soon as it came, it wouldn’t go away. 

The thought was Settsu was kind of beautiful.

The way his long, slender fingers ran through his hair. The way his eyes shone when he believed he had the upper hand. The way the light reflected off his hair. He was beautiful and, in that moment, Juza couldn’t help himself. But he also didn’t know what it was he intended to do. He just felt weird and fuzzy. His heart raced and he was excited. What was that feeling anyway?

Before he could figure it out, Settsu had left.

Juza checked his phone after the last bell rang.

_ <settsu> meet me at the station _

_ <settsu> dont keep me w8tn _

Maybe he wasn’t angry anymore?

“I told you not to keep me waiting,” was the first thing Settsu said when he arrived.

Juza shrugged.

“Well, whatever. Let’s go.” He put his hand out. 

Juza looked at it. “Where are we going?”

“A date. You know. Because we’re dating.”

“And the hand?” Settsu clicked his tongue and grabbed Juza’s hand without waiting for permission, but Juza didn’t protest. “It’s cold.”

“Warm it up, then. Come on.”

Settsu brought them to a karaoke place. He made small talk with the staff, like he’d been here hundreds of times before. A fact that didn’t surprise Juza much. Unlike him, Settsu had a vibrant social life. One that he seemed to navigate with extreme ease, as he did most things. 

They arrived in the room and Settsu promptly ordered a ton of snacks before picking up a mic and the machine to input some songs. When he finished, he picked up a second mic and handed the first one to Juza.

“Me too?”

“It’s the best way to get rid of pent up tension.”

“I’m not tense.”

“I don’t believe that and, also, you’re gonna sing with me anyway.”

Juza took the microphone reluctantly. He wasn’t used to this. 

The music started as soon as Settsu pressed the big green button on the remote. It was some kind of energetic, jazzy rock song that Juza didn’t recognize. But Settsu looked at him like he’d get angry if he didn’t sing with him. So, when the lyrics appeared on the screen, Juza did his best to follow Settsu’s lead. It was a mess at first, but Settsu didn’t laugh. He grinned wide at him. Proud almost. It was an expression Juza hadn’t seen on Settsu before. At least not directed at him.

Settsu never looked at him so sincerely before.

“How about that!” When the song ended, Settsu threw his arm around Juza cheerfully. “Didn’t know you had it in you.”

Juza was embarrassed. “I guess that was fun.”

He got surprisingly into it. They took turns singing. Eating snacks between songs. It was hard to forget they usually didn’t get along. An hour went by before they took a break and sat down next to each other, trying to catch their breath. Settsu opened two bottles of water and handed one over to him. Juza took it gratefully.

“You’re not so bad, Hyodo.” Settsu noted, taking a huge glug of water. 

The room was dark, illuminated solely by the television and faint disco lights. But under the dimness, Juza could still make out Settsu’s features. His light brown hair partially stuck to his face with sweat. That cheerful smile typically reserved for everyone  _ but  _ Juza was currently directed  _ at _ him. 

The feeling was new.

And not unwelcome.

The end-of-song victory music looped in the background. Their average score blinking neon on the television behind them. Settsu’s expression suddenly hardened. His smile faded and his eyes caught Juza’s. 

Juza stared. And Settsu leaned forward, slowly, tentatively. Their faces were so close now and a flash of doubt flickered across Settsu’s face, but he didn’t back out. Juza found himself reciprocating, angling his head to press his lips gently against the other boy’s.

Their lips were both rough under the thin layer of moist from having just chugged an entire bottle of water. But they warmed up to each other after a few tentative pecks. Settsu pushed into the kiss. He pressed Juza back into the hard couch, eager. A mix of conflict and pleasure melted into each other, forming a meaningless soup in Juza’s mind. The music turned into an echo. His senses were filled with the sensation of Settsu’s firm body leaning into him as their little kisses turned more serious. 

It’s like they couldn’t stop. Juza’s arms wrapped around Settsu’s waist to pull him in closer. The other boy didn’t protest until it seemed like Juza tried to straddle him. That he wasn’t having at all. As if to compensate, Settsu brought a hand up to Juza’s chest and pushed him down. Settsu hovered over him, kissing harder. Tongue pushing into Juza’s mouth. Juza couldn’t tell their breaths apart anymore. 

Eventually, Settsu pulled away. He stared at Juza with eyes that spelled conflict with a capital ‘c’. Juza could see his own confusion reflected in the darkness. Moments passed and neither of them moved. They just stared. 

Settsu covered his own mouth and moved back into his own spot on the couch. He glanced away. Juza pushed himself back up with his elbows. 

“What was that?” Settsu exhaled.

“You tell me.”

“I asked first, idiot.”

Juza touched his own lips and deliberated. “I didn’t hate it?”

“Don’t expect it again. I just got caught up in the moment.” Settsu cleared his throat. “We should… We should probably go home.”

Settsu didn’t meet Juza’s gaze for the rest of the night.


	3. Wednesday -> Thursday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are... complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays!

_ Wednesday AM _

The complicated thing about falling in love is that there’s no way to control it.

You can make all the excuses you want. You can say you’re not ready. Or that you’re focusing on yourself. Or that you’re too busy. That there are other things in your life that need attending to. But the problem is,  _ love  _ doesn’t give two shits about your plans. It won’t wait. It won’t listen. By the time you’ve realized it’s here, it’s already too late. One thought multiplies into hundreds. Next thing you know, there’s just nothing else your mind wants to think about anymore.

Banri couldn’t accept it.

He meant it.

He got caught in the moment. That’s it. 

The room was so small. It was so hot. They were having fun. And Hyodo just looked.. He just looked so appetizing.

Banri buried his face in his pillow and tried not to scream. He didn’t want Hyodo to hear him. The guy was still sleeping, snoring lightly. Meanwhile, he didn’t a wink of sleep all night. Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the kiss. Feeling Hyodo’s lips against his. Their heats melting into the sweltering atmosphere. If Banri had no self-control, he would’ve… he could’ve…

He wanted to touch him. He wanted to feel Hyodo’s skin, feel the outline of his chest and muscles. It’s not like Banri didn’t already know what Hyodo looked like, but the image in his mind was different now. It was clouded with sparkles of desire. 

It’s just hormones. It has to be hormones. Anyone would get in the mood if that happened, right? It wasn’t because he was falling for Hyodo. It was just the atmosphere. He was a healthy teenager after all. It most definitely wasn’t because he caught feelings. Definitely not. Logically speaking. Wasn’t that impossible? 

Hyodo was his rival. Someone he swore to defeat. 

You can’t want to kiss your rival.

Banri rolled over. 

How was he supposed to face Hyodo now? Should be he pretend nothing happened? How was Hyodo sleeping so peacefully anyway? Did the making out not affect him at all? That was kind of upsetting. Why did he have to be the only one worked up about this?

He got out of bed. It was too early and there probably wasn’t anyone awake, but he couldn’t stay in this room any longer. He was going to lose his mind. 

Banri got dressed and quietly left the room. He headed for the kitchen and, surprisingly found Tsumugi in the courtyard watering the flowers. 

“Tsumugi-san, you’re up early.” Banri greeted, his voice hoarse from last night.

Tsumugi turned towards him with a gentle smile. Man, he sure was pretty. Banri wondered how he did that so effortlessly. Was there a trick? Or did Tsumugi just naturally exude delicacy? He was like the complete opposite of Hyodo, a walking paradigm of coarseness.

“I could say the same to you, Banri-kun.”

“Didn’t sleep well, if I’m being honest.” 

“Is that so? Want to talk about it?” Tsumugi offered. He finished watering a patch of flowers and set the watering can on the table nearby.

“Ah, no…” Banri trailed off. “It’s a stupid problem.”

“I’m sure it’s not if it’s enough to bother you.” Tsumugi was considerate. “I can at least listen.”

Banri shrugged. He didn’t want to talk about it, but he also didn’t want to _think_ about it either. More than that, he didn’t know what kind of advice he wanted. What is it that he even needed help with? 

“Have you ever had to act like you’re in love with someone and ended up actually falling in love with them?”

The question was out before Banri could stop himself. Tsumugi stared at for a second. Clearly, that’s not what he expected Banri to say. For a second, he thought Tsumugi might laugh at him, but the older man didn’t. He put his thumb and index to his chin and considered the question carefully. Slight red on his cheeks.

“I do have a bad habit of  _ really  _ into my roles…” Tsumugi’s gaze shifted. “B-but… It’s a matter of flipping a switch. Give yourself time to get out of character, so you don’t lose sight of yourself.” 

It was sound voice advice, but Banri wouldn’t help but feel like there was more to it than Tsumugi was willing to admit.

“Flipping a switch, huh…” Banri sighed.

Is that what happened? Did he get  _ too  _ into it yesterday?

“Sorry. I don’t know if that was helpful or not.”

Banri gave him a reassuring smile. “No, it’s fine. Thanks, Tsumugi-san.”

-0-

_ Wednesday PM _

_ “Hey, get up. We’re skipping class together today.” _

That’s what Settsu woke him up with this morning, looking a bit frustrated under the overly enthusiastic smile he gave him. 

Juza didn’t protest. 

They left the dorm together and, thankfully, no one was around to see them leave. Juza wasn’t sure how he’d explain their current predicament. Maybe Settsu would’ve had an excuse ready. But he’d never know because they managed to leave without anyone harassing them.

Settsu was strangely quiet on the way to wherever they were going. They were walking next to each other, a clear distance apart, not talking. It wasn’t a situation Juza would normally find awkward but, in this moment, he did. But Juza also had no idea how to bring it up in the first place. Should he ask? What would he ask anyway? He didn’t even know what was bothering him in the first place. As if Settsu would know why  _ he’s  _ feeling awkward. Come on, Juza. That’s something  _ you  _ needed to figure out first.

Juza struggled with words and before his thinking could get anywhere, Settsu suddenly stopped.

“We’re here.”

They had arrived at a cafe.

“Here?”

“Yeah, come on.” Settsu went in ahead.

Juza followed in. A little bell rang as he stepped into a posh, but comfortable looking shop. The decor was mostly wood, with various frames and knick-knacks hung up on off-white painted walls. The place was decently occupied for a Wednesday morning. Juza was grateful Settsu made a point of not wearing their uniforms. They would’ve stuck out like sore thumbs.

Settsu grabbed them a table by the wall and a waitress came not too long after to take their orders. She seemed to recognize Settsu, who flashed her an expert smile and listed out an order without so much as missing a beat. She walked away soon after, giving Juza a polite nod as she stepped away.

“Been here before?” 

Settsu made himself comfortable. “Yeah. With Tsumugi-san.”

“You two sure go out a lot.”

“We get along.”

“Hm.”

What was with this atmosphere?

Settsu leaned forward, elbows on the table. “What, you jealous?”

“Of course not,” Juza’s reply came instantly and without hesitation.

“Tch, you’re no fun.”

Juza didn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t this. He wasn’t really thinking that night. He just felt provoked. He said the first thing that came to mind. And Settsu took him seriously. Of course he did. Settsu wasn’t the type to back out from a challenge. Juza would’ve been disappointed if he did. So then, why did Juza feel this way?

He was unhappy. 

They were pretending. Acting. Nothing about their current circumstances were normal. Under  _ normal  _ circumstances, they wouldn’t be talking like this. They wouldn’t have skipped school together. An act. Juza had to act, but he was having a hard time figuring out the role. A boyfriend, huh?

“Are you into the jealous type?” Juza heard himself ask.

Settsu laughed. “A little jealousy is always cute.”

A few minutes later, the waitress returned with drinks and a plate of pastries. A cup of coffee for Settsu. A plate of various little pastries. And a glass of something topped with an impressive amount of whipped cream. He’d been nervous up to that point, but as soon as the food arrived, his stomach growled happily.

“Thought you would like it.”

Juza couldn’t help the denial. “No…”

But he was already taking a sip of the drink and grabbing one of the sweets on the plate. Both were delicious. Extremely sweet. Delicate. Soft. The pastry crunched in his mouth, letting out a bit of syrup that overwhelmed his taste buds. So, so, so sweet. The thin crunchy layers crumbled as he chewed to savor the flavors. There were nuts too. Juza had never eaten something like before. He thought it vaguely looked like a thinner millefeuille, but the taste and texture were totally different. 

He swallowed and drank more of his mystery drink. It had a distinct cocoa flavor. It was rich in a way Juza expected would be bitter, but it wasn’t. It was perfect sweet. Was it because of the whipped cream? Whatever it was, it was wonderful.

Settsu watched him, smiling. “It’s called baklava. I figured you might not have ever had some. This cafe serves a lot of foreign pastries.”

He really thought about this.

Juza was embarrassed.

“It’s delicious…” He mumbled, sheepish.

Settsu snorted as Juza set his cup down. He was leaning forward. Hand reaching out. Juza flinched. What was he doing? Settsu wiped a bit of cream that stained the side of Juza’s lips and dropped back into his seat to lick it off his fingers. 

“You’re like a little kid,” he commented, nonchalantly.

Juza’s heart skipped.

He swallowed and glanced away.

“Sorry… Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Settsu’s smile was big and toothy. Like he meant it. And it made Juza’s heart swell with an emotion he couldn’t explain. 

Delight? 

Elation?

He didn’t know. And he only had a few more days to figure it out.

-0-

_ Thursday  _

Banri was in class for once, staring out the window and spacing out. The teacher droned on and on about… something. What class were they in right now? Classic literature? Right. Most of his classmates were paying attention, fervently. Exams were coming up and they were third years after all. They had their futures to think about. University entrance exams, job applications, career. Dreams. It was all out of Banri’s depth to be honest.

Tsumugi-san has repeatedly expressed openness to the subject. He was a tutor after all. He knew how to consult on these things. And Banri knew he’d probably give great advice. It’s just. He was reluctant.

Everything always came easy to him. He felt like his future was no different. He’d graduate high school, get accepted into university, study something that wouldn’t disappoint his parents and then he’d just get a job and go through the motions. That was life, right? It wasn’t until joining Mankai company that he realized there could be more to it. Seeing so many people gathered in one place, furiously pursuing their dreams and passions. Well, Banri would be foolish to deny the effect it's had on him.

Hyodo especially. Watching Hyodo desperately trying to change himself every day and working so damn hard at it. 

Was it really a wonder why Banri was so jealous of that passion?

Maybe that’s why he was taking this challenge so seriously.

But… if that were the case, why did he feel so weird about it?

_ <banri> so how am i doing? fallen hopelessly in love with me yet? _

_ <hyodo> you wish _

_ <banri> kinda _

_ <banri> that’ll mean i won doesn’t it? _

_ <hyodo> … _

Who leaves a text with just an ellipsis and no follow-up? 

Banri thought maybe Juza’s break ended and he couldn’t text back. But lunch came and went and still nothing. That pissed him off.

_ <banri> oi _

_ <banri> srsly? _

_ <banri> ur leavin me hangin here _

_ <hyodo> i’ll meet u at the gates after classes _

_ <hyodo> we need to talk _

What was that? What did that mean? Talk about what? Why couldn’t he just text? Isn’t he bad at talking? Why now?

Banri was only more pissed off.

He felt like he was being broken up with, which was  _ ridiculous.  _ They weren’t even dating. He was just playing along with a stupid challenge  _ he  _ provoked him with. How  _ dare  _ Hyodo back out on him now? It’d just leave a shitty taste in his mouth. Why did he bother working so hard at this then? 

Huh? Was he working hard at this? Wasn’t it supposed to be easy? Wait. What was even the point of all this? What  _ was  _ he doing? 

After class, Banri didn’t go downstairs right away. He watched from the window as students started pouring out of the front gates. Hyodo showed up about ten minutes later. He stood by the gate, back towards the school. He made a point of not making eye contact with anyone, but after some time passed, he seemed to get a bit antsy. He looked past the gates, probably to see if he’d come out.

Sakuya and Masumi eventually came out. Sakuya greeted Hyodo and they talked for a while. Banri guessed that Hyodo probably asked Sakuya if he knew where he was, but Sakuya didn’t. Ha, take that. It was petty, but Banri was getting a kick out of making Hyodo wait.

Hyodo continued to wait patiently, even taking his phone out to text him. Banri didn’t answer. He wondered how long Hyodo would wait there before giving up. Did Banri want him to give up? 

He wasn’t sure. He didn’t know what he wanted. Maybe this was enough. 

Three second years suddenly approached Hyodo. Hands in their pockets. Delinquents. Banri recognized them because they hung out with me sometimes. Tch. He should probably get out there.

-0-

“Oi! Aren’t you Hyodo from O High? What are you doing on our turf?”

The kids who approached looked younger than him, but Juza didn’t recognize any of them. He sure wished they’d leave. He didn’t want to deal with this right now. He was waiting for Settsu. What was taking him so long anyway? 

“If you think you can just pick a fight on our side of town, you got another thing coming!”

They were trying to sound threatening, but they were clearly afraid of him. Juza hadn’t even said anything yet. He was hoping he wouldn’t have to.

“Hey guys, get lost.”

Ah, there’s Settsu.

He came down the small hill from the campus towards the front gates. Hands in pockets, looking annoyed. 

“Senpai!” One of the kids exclaimed. “But…” He trailed off nervously.

Settsu walked towards Juza, wrapping an arm around his neck and whispering while his back was turned towards the other students. “Don’t say anything.”

He had no intention to anyway.

Settsu turned towards the underclassmen, arm still around Juza. He smirked condescendingly. “I called him here, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Called…?” 

After a moment, their wariness turned into immediate glowing admiration. It looked like they were under the impression Juza had become Settsu’s underling. Ugh, gross. That was a lie and totally wrong. But probably better than any other excuse Juza could’ve come up with.

Settsu continued to talk the underclassmen and, eventually they left without issue. When they did, he sighed, unwrapping himself from Juza. 

“That was annoying.”

“I don’t like that they think I’m weaker than you.”

“God, let me win for once.”

“As if you’d want me to.”

Settu’s snorted. “You’re right. I don’t.”

Juza’s smiled. That was the Settsu he knew and liked.

Liked?

“Anyway, you said you needed to talk, right? Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

-0-

They went to a park near the station, far enough from both of their campuses to avoid familiar eyes. There was a vending machine next to the bench. Banri put in some money to get drinks as Hyodo went to sit down. He got a coffee for himself and threw a carton of strawberry milk in Hyodo’s direction. He almost didn’t catch it, not expecting to get anything in the first place.

“It’s an apology. For the guys earlier.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled, already opening it up to drink.

Banri leaned back on the vending machine and opened his own drink. “So?”

“What?”

“You said we needed to talk.”

Hyodo stared at the pavement and drank his strawberry milk. 

“Don’t tell me you just said that without really thinking. Seriously, dude?” Banri groaned.

But he was also relieved.

“I didn’t like that you asked me if I had fallen in love with you.” 

Hyodo said after a beat, looking up. Banri gaped.

“It was a joke.”

“Maybe… but… this whole… thing we’re doing…” He squeezed the carton, drinking the last bit of milk. How did he finish it so quickly? “It was awkward.”

Awkward? That’s the best he had?

“Well, do you have any intention of  _ actually  _ falling in love with me? Pretty sure this was a who’s the better boyfriend contest.”

Right. That’s what it was, wasn’t it?

“Right.”

“You’re kind of creeping me out. Taking it so seriously.”

“Pot meet kettle.”

Ugh. He was kind of taking it super seriously.

“So what? Are we… calling it off?” Banri asked, tentative.

Hyodo thought about it for a second. 

“I-I don’t care… either way…” Banri tried to recover, worried he sounded too disappointed. “We could just pretend this never…”

“Not like you to back down from something.” Hyodo teased.

“Shut up.” He hated when Hyodo got under his skin like this. “Fine. Fine! Look. In that case,  _ you’re  _ not allowed to wuss out of this. I still have three days to prove I’m better than you.”

Hyodo smiled. 

Why did  _ he  _ look so happy about it?

Banri chugged the rest of his coffee. “God, what was the point of this conversation then?”

Hyodo merely shrugged, like the answer didn’t matter to him. Or he had somehow already gotten his answer without actually telling Banri. Both possibilities pissed him off.

“Let’s go home.”


	4. Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this more than you bargained for yet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get out. The holidays were very busy and then I got sick.... but we're back in business. Also, I want to thank everyone for your kind comments and kudos! We're in the last stretch. Hopefully you won't have to wait long for the last chapter :D

“What are you all doing huddled up this early?” 

Banri came down to the living room and found a rather large group conglomerated around the living room table. Izumi was there, with Sakuya, Muku, Tsumugi and Omi. It was an odd enough collection of folks that Banri felt the need to interrupt. Everyone shifted awkwardly as he approached. 

“Morning, Banri-kun!” Izumi greeted him, standing up. “We were just having a meeting for the next play.”

“Any reason you’re trying to block my view?”

“Ooooof courseeee nooooot~” The director laughed.

The next play huh? With this group? Weird.

Banri knew how to read the atmosphere though. He shrugged. “Well, I know when I’m not wanted. There any leftovers in the fridge?”

He made his way to the kitchen and was promptly stopped by an alarmed sound from both the director and Omi as he reached to open the fridge. In a flash, Muku appeared from across the room to stop him. The kid had a serious look on his face, like panic that quickly turned into nervous laughter. “Actually, the truth is, I-I broke the fridge earlier and we were just talking about how we were going to break the news to Sakyo-san. Everything inside is kind of a mess and so, so… uh…”

“Right…” Whatever was happening, Banri didn’t want to be involved. “I’ll… just get something at the convenience store then.”

Everyone watched Banri step out of the living room and, a few moments later, heard the dorm doors close behind them. There was a collectively sigh of relief.

Omi laughed. “That was probably too suspicious wasn’t it?”

Izumi returned to the table. “No, nah… nuh-uh… It’s probably fine. We’re so close. If we doubt ourselves now, it’ll never work out.”

“If anything, I’m sure Banri-kun’s too preoccupied with something else to be too suspicious. Honestly,” Tsumugi smiled.

“What do you mean?” Izumi asked, confused.

“Oh, nothing.”

-0-

_ Friday _

Juza remembered the tickets existed that morning. When he got to school and opened his wallet to pay for some bread for lunch. Shit. So much had happened that week he had almost forgotten his original purpose. He needed to give them to Settsu today. Don’t forget. Juza made himself a mental note to bring it up later.

He kind of felt like the week went by really quick. And it was strange. Because he was grappling with thoughts he didn’t expect to surface in such a short span of time. Was it because they were already boiling on the surface? Was it because of this challenge? He didn’t know. But the fact that he was hanging out with Settsu like it was… ordinary… wasn’t something he thought possible just a few days ago.

_ “You’re the only one who can do this! Please, Juza-kun!” _

_ Sakuya and the director were desperate. And it’s not that Juza was opposed to helping, it just seemed way out of his depth. How was he supposed to do what they wanted without Settsu getting suspicious? They weren’t even friends. _

_ “There’s gotta be way.” _

_ “Think of it like an acting exercise. Besides, won’t it be better if you two could get along better?” _

_ The director had a point. Maybe it would be better if they fought less.  _

_ “It’s going to be weird if I just ask him out of the blue…” But Juza was still hesitant. “Why not ask Itaru-san or Tsumugi-san instead?” _

_ “They… both already said no. So! There’s only you!” _

Juza didn’t regret agreeing to the plan.

But it seemed he’s lost the plot a little.

Juza was in a quiet part of the courtyard, eating his bread peacefully when a familiar voice interrupted him. It was Tenma’s. 

“Yo,” he greeted, sitting down next to him without asking. 

The two often ate together to avoid the crowd. And others were a lot less likely to pester Tenma when Juza was next to him. It was convenient.

“Tenma,”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think wanting to kiss someone means you like them?” 

Tenma nearly dropped his bento in shock. 

“You… gonna elaborate?” He asked, after catching himself. 

Juza wasn’t sure there was much to elaborate on. It was a straightforward question.

Tenma, realizing he wasn’t going to say anything, continued. “Isn’t the easy answer a yes?”

“That’s half-hearted.”

“I don’t know what you want to hear, dude.”

Yeah. What  _ did  _ he want to hear?

Juza shrugged.

Tenma sighed, returning his attention to his lunch. “Seriously, you and Banri both are being so weird this week.”

“Did… Settsu tell you anything?”

“Shit,” Tenma looked away. “Forget I said anything. This is really between the both of you, isn’t it?”

Did Settsu ask Tenma for advice or something? That seemed out of character for him, but then, this entire week was pretty weird.

“I guess.”

“Well, figure it out! Getting roped into this stuff is really awkward for me. I honestly can’t deal with it.”

Juza laughed a little. “This stuff, huh? What? Romance?”

“Oh god, gross. How are you being so honest?”

“Not sure. It’s weirdly liberating.”

“I’m pretty sure half the company would have a heart attack if you and Banri started acting all lovey-dovey with each other so, like, spare us from that at least.” 

Tenma quickly finished the rest of his lunch and got up. “Anyway, see you.”

Juza waved him off. 

Lovey dovey, huh? He really doubted he and Settsu would ever be like that. Even if he was currently wrestling with some strange feelings, he didn’t think the nature of their relationship could change that drastically. Besides… what? Was that what it was then? Was he  _ in love  _ with Settsu?

Didn’t that complicate things? Wouldn’t he get pissed off if he found out why he was doing all of this? He would have to explain things without ruining the surprise. But how?

Juza wasn’t great at being subtle.

When classes ended, Juza went to do what he’d been all week: head over to Hanasaki to pick up Settsu. He had to hustle if he wanted to make it there before the last bell. But today, he didn’t have to. As he stepped out the main entrance, Juza spotted Settsu waiting by the gates.

“Yo,” Settsu greets with a cocky grin and a half wave.

“This is different,” Juza said, approaching.

“I skipped last period anyway.”

“Should you be skipping class so much? We’re third years.”

“I got it handled. I don’t need you worrying about me when my grades are way better than yours will ever be.”

“My grades are fine,” Juza affirmed.

“Sure, sure.”

Juza didn’t ask where they were heading. He followed along quietly, just a step next to Settsu. He hovered and watched him as he took his phone out to play some mobile game while they walked. It was the one with the cute characters that worked together to beat big monsters. Juza wasn’t really keeping up. He didn’t really understand the appeal of these games, but Settsu played them a lot. Apparently he was pretty strong too, according to Itaru-san, which is something coming from an obsessive gamer. 

“Why aren’t you hitting it yet?”

Settsu didn’t bother looking up. It was a wonder how they weren’t straying off their path (not that Juza would know, he also wasn’t paying attention to where they were going). 

“It’s called set-up. Look, watch.”

Settsu pressed a button and the characters began attacking the monster. In one go, nearly half its health depleted.

“Whoa,” Juza was mildly impressed.

A little bell started ringing and banner reading “taruchi has joined” flashed across the field. 

Juza pointed. “Itaru-san?”

“Yeah. How’d you know?”

“You call him that when you’re playing together in the living room.”

Settsu grinned. “Huh. So, even  _ you _ pay attention sometimes.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Settsu nudged him playfully. His shoulder hitting his arm as they continued down the path, side by side. “Nothing! Anyway, look. We made it.”

Juza finally looked up.

“Veludo Way?”

“Yeah, I thought of a date we’d both enjoy.” 

It was Friday evening. A busy time on Veludo. With folks doing street acts every other block. Pedestrians coming through from work, getting their errands done before heading home for dinner. 

Settsu tucked his phone away and walked a few steps into a section of sidewalk where people weren’t constantly passing through. When he turned around to face Juza again, his expression had completely changed. They had rehearsed together enough for Juza to promptly catch onto what was going on. He felt a chill drive through him, excited to see what Settsu was going to come up with.

“End of the line.”

Settsu’s face was hard and stoic. His stance shifted. His posture seemingly relaxed, but he had his arm outstretched towards Juza. He shook slightly, tense despite his demeanor. As if he was undertaking a task he had to do, but didn’t want to.

Juza didn’t want to lose, so he adjusted to the atmosphere. He took a step forward with a determined look in his eyes.

“Do it,” he said sternly. “You won’t.”

A more panicked expression appeared on Settsu face as he unwantedly took a step back, surprised by Juza’s resolve. 

The passersby accustomed to Veludo quickly picked up on what was happening and a few people stopped to watch, wondering where this would go. 

“I  _ will _ !” Settsu yelled in character, gaze falling to the pavement. “I  _ have  _ to. If I don’t, then many more people will die. Shiro-kun, Aya-chan, everyone…”

Juza continued towards him until his chest hit the end of the finger gun Settsu was holding out. 

“What are you waiting for, then?”

Settsu hand shook. He looked up suddenly, meeting Juza’s gaze with eyes full of conflict.

“You can’t possibly be okay with this.”

The whispers of the passersby intensified as the tension ramped up.

Juza returned Settsu’s pained expression with a serene smile. He grabbed his wrist, pushing the imaginary gun into his chest, as if to goad his partner. “Neither of us have a choice in this, Secchan.”

Settsu pulled away. “You can run! Far away! Where nobody knows you and none of this matters.”

“Why don’t you come with me?”

“I can’t… You  _ know  _ I can’t…”

“If we run far enough, it won’t matter, right?”

“You…”

Juza’s smile faded into something more sinister. “We both leave it at all behind. Forever.”

Settsu was stunned into silence by Juza’s character choice. The bystanders interpreted the long pause as a sign it was over and the sounds around them were quickly overtaken by applause. Settsu snapped back into reality and waved to the crowd with a practiced smile. 

“Thank you! We’re from the Mankai Company. Follow us on social media!”

The crowd dispersed, returning to their business. Juza walked over to Settsu as he continued to wave their audience away enthusiastically. 

Settsu waited for the last folks to go on their way. “Secchan?”

Juza shrugged. “That’s what came up on the spot. ‘Sides, what was with the bleak setting?”

“That’s what came up on the spot,” Settsu repeated his answer.

Juza smirked. “It was fun. Your acting pulled me in.”

“Don’t be so sincere, it’s… creeping me out,” Settsu rubbed his temple awkwardly, but it was clear he appreciated the compliment. “Also, you too.”

“Really?”

“I expected you to be awkward, but you just synched up to me.”

_ It’s because we work so well together. _

Juza found himself thinking, but couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.

“I hate to admit it, but we’re a good team, aren’t we?”

And, as usual, Settsu was a lot better with words than he was.

Juza nodded. “Yeah.”

-0-

The pair did a few more acts with varying degrees of success.They tried different settings. One humorous, about a boyfriend having to buy his girlfriend another cup of limited edition pudding after accidentally eating hers. One more action-packed, two cops chasing after a hardened criminal whom they can’t let get away. It was fun and, most of all, acting with Hyodo always left him… breathless.

It was exciting. He never knew how Hyodo would react and yet, they were always on the same page. It was as if Hyodo instinctively knew what to do to get the best act out of him. Or was it the other way around? Were they just good at playing off each other?

“Are you free tomorrow?”

They were on the way back to the dorms when Hyodo spoke. He seemed a bit nervous, which was uncharacteristic of him.

“Yeah?”

Hyodo rummaged through his pockets for a moment and took out a pair of tickets to a movie. An action flick that came out recently. One he wanted to go see, in fact. 

“Wanna go together?”

“Sure,” Banri beamed. “I’m down.”

Hyodo smiled and pocketed the tickets back. “Good.”

Night fell around them in a cool sweep. The dorm came into view at the end of the block. Banri traced the line of Hyodo’s figure in the darkness. He was only a bit taller, but his features were manlier. Sharp and well-defined. And yet, there was something effortless about it. He had an easy coolness to him. One that was varied immensely from his own. One that just… drew him in.

Tomorrow was their last day together.

“Settsu?”

Banri wondered if Hyodo would continue to say his name like that after this week. With such gentle sweetness. A tone he would’ve found gross just a few days ago, now made his heart thump with anticipation.

Hyodo’s golden eyes observed him with naive curiosity. He had such a way of looking at you directly with zero embarrassment. Banri hated it. Banri appreciated it. 

They stopped in the shadow of a streetlight. Banri couldn’t hold himself back. His mind swirled. The sound of Hyodo’s cold breath in the autumn breeze excited him. 

Before he knew it, he was pushing Hyodo against the pole, his hands on Hyodo’s coat, holding him there as he brought their faces closer together. Hyodo stared, bewildered for only half a moment before narrowing languidly. Banri smashed his lips against Hyodo’s, immediately pushing his tongue past his teeth. Hyodo still wasn’t used to it. His tongue lay there, not knowing what to do while Banri worked the inside of his mouth with learned expertise.

Hyodo’s arms pulled Banri in closer, wrapping around his waist, practically lifting him. Banri paid no mind, kissing the other boy harder, with a desperation he couldn’t understand and refused to think about.

When Banri finally pulled away, both their breaths were hot and heavy. Hyodo’s lips were wet and the way his eyes glowed under the cold light made it hard for Banri to completely stop himself. He wanted to kiss him  _ more.  _ He wanted to  _ do  _ more.

But he didn’t. He let go.

“Shit…”

He honest to god had no idea what came over him.

Hyodo said nothing. A moment later, Banri felt a hand grab hold of his. He intertwined their fingers and lead the way.

“W-wait, Hyodo…” Banri let himself get dragged along. “I…”

“I get it.”

“Huh?”

Hyodo squeezed his hand and suddenly stopped on the corner. He turned around, eyes full of determination.

“I get it now.”

“Get what?”

“I’m in love with you, Settsu.”


	5. Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Payoff?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost Valentines' day! Happy Valentines' day! This is it for this fic. I hope you all enjoy the ending. I hope you're not disappointed! Send me enough love and maybe I'll consider writing a sequel. Haha, jk. (I'd write it with or without your blessings!)

“So, you  _ are _ kind of obsessed with him, aren’t you?”

Itaru-san’s smirk was sly, annoying and obnoxious. He plopped a chip in his mouth, eyes never leaving the screen on which a flurry of high-energy activities were happening. Buildings collapsing. People running. Enemies attacking. Chomp, chomp.

Banri could see Itaru’s grin in his peripheral vision. It was sneaky and knowing. He hated it so much and he immediately took out said frustration on a large monster that jumped into view. His character attacked it with timed precision, transitioning into a super cool animation.

“Shut up. I don’t want to hear it.”

“What? Aren’t you happy it’s mutual? Why are you even here?” Itaru kept going. “Shouldn’t you two be making out like there healthy teenage boys you are?”

“First of all, gross.”

A horde of monsters started spawning. Banri struggled to split his attention between this unwanted conversation and Not Wanting To Die In The Video Game. 

“Second of all, you’re missing the point!”

“Am I? Juza just said he’s in love with you and you came running here because you’re embarrassed.”

“I ain’t embarrassed.”

“Your face is red.”

“I’m mad!”

“Ah, I died.”

“What? No..!” The monsters that Itaru was occupying suddenly came running to Banri. There were far too many for him to take care of all at once and, after a minute of trying to fend them off, the all-too familiar YOU DIED banner blazed onto the TV.

“So, Banri. What is The Point, then?”

Banri groaned, leaned back and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. “The point… the point is this is too sudden. How am I supposed to know if he means it or is just saying it because of our stupid challenge? Even if he means it, isn’t he just saying that because of how we’ve had to act this whole week?”

That’s right. It was all an act. They were just pretending.

And Hyodo was just taking it too seriously. 

That’s the kind of dude he was.

“Aren’t you overthinking things? As far as I’m concerned, you nailed all the right flags and got on the true path.”

“Alright, nerd.”

“Look who’s talking.” Itaru picked up a chip and shoved it in Banri’s mouth. “Anyway, it seems to me like you’re avoiding the bigger question here.”

Banri chomped on the chip and swallowed. “What?”

“Well, what do you plan on doing?”

Ugh.

He hated that question.

-0-

“You… w-what?” Muku blinked, dropping the manga he was holding.

“I told Settsu I loved him and he ran off.”

“How did that-- What-- That’s great--! B-but, wait… what!?”

“Don’t make me say it a third time…”

Even he was starting to feel kind of shy about it.

“I mean, that’s… that’s good news, right? I didn’t even know you… You liked him? When did this all happen? Juchan, I need details!”

“Well, you know? You said we needed to be friends so it wouldn’t be awkward when I invited him to the movie. Taichi gave me his magazines to help, but it didn’t really. And then Settsu made fun of me and I got mad, so we made this bet?”

“What kind of bet?”

“Like who would be the better boyfriend.”

Muku was riveted. He nodded, begging him to continue. Juza rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he did. “We gave ourselves a week. To prove it. Who was better? I kind of thought it would be a good acting exercise? Like the director said.”

“I don’t think she meant you needed to pretend to be each other’s boyfriends, but I guess… things happen?”

“Anyway, I realized I was actually in love with Settsu earlier, so I told him.”

“Huh.. what? We’re skipping to that already?” Muku picked the manga back up and arranged them on his shelf. “How did Banri-san react?”

“I told you, he ran off.”

“This all  _ just  _ happened!?”

“Yeah… What were you thinking?”

“I guess I thought maybe you agonized over it for hours and hours and then slowly realized ‘ah! I love him!’ before bolting up and dramatically running across the city to his school right before the last bell to confess to him in a fleeting moment of passion!”

“Breathe, Muku.” Juza gave his cousin a gentle pat on the head. “But no. We were kissing then I realized what I was feeling and told him on the spot.”

“Kissing!?” The younger boy gasped, slapping his cheeks. “A-a-a-already? W-wait… so doesn’t? You kissed him? Before-- But?”

“We’re getting off track. We’re supposed to be talking about tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow… right… the party…” Muku tried to calm himself down. “Were you able to give him the tickets?”

Juza nodded. “I don’t think he’ll bail on me, but…”

Muku suddenly looked determined. “You  _ can’t  _ let him! If he’s in the dorm, we won’t be able to get anything ready.”

“I know.”

The room went quiet for a moment.

Muku cleared his throat. “Um… so… what’s your plan?”

“The same as it was a week ago? Get Settsu out of the house and come back when you send me the ‘ok’.”

“But… the confession and the challenge and everything…”

“I’ll figure something out.”

Juza returned to his room, finding the lights off and no one there. But it was still early. Settsu was probably just playing games with Itaru-san or something. That’s fine. He really wanted to talk to him. About earlier. He wanted to know what Settsu thought, if anything. Did he like him back? Was he out of his mind? Juza wasn’t sure what he wanted the answers to be, but he wanted to hear them. He wanted to see Settsu.

After failing to study for a while, Juza crawled into bed. His heart was restless. He was excited about tomorrow. Too excited. How was he supposed to sleep?

He shifted under the sheets and took his phone out. He had a lot of unread notifications.

<director> tomorrow’s the day, boys!

<sakuya> yes! im rly excited >u<)////

<omi> haha 

<omi> think he has any idea whats going on?

<tsumugi> doesnt seem like it

<tsumugi> he seems otherwise preoccupied (laugh)

<director> you said that this morning too

<director> am i missing something?

<muku> juchan…

He opened the secret dorm group chat they made specifically for tomorrow and skipped to the bottom.

<juza> evrythins fine for tmrw

<juza> gave him the tickets

<director> i’m glad it worked out!

<director> he wasn’t suspicious?

<juza> why?

<director> huh, well you were worried

<itaru> wwwwwwwww

<juza> itaru-san… is settsu in yr room?

<itaru> yeah, hes sleepn here 2nite

<itaru> lol u rly did him in huh?

<juza> …

<director> ok I am CLEARLY missing something here

<itaru> dnt wrry, will make sure he shows up 4 ur date

<itaru> jst leave early   
<itaru> dnt think hes rdy 2 c u yet

<tsumugi> im lost too

<omi> did something happen?

<omi> between you two?

<muku> doesnt matter!!! lets just make sure our part goes smoothly tomorrow

<muku> juchan… good luck…

<juza> thnks

He tucked his phone away and silenced it as the conversation went on without him. He didn’t exactly want to explain himself to everyone else yet. Not when he hasn’t spoken to Settsu directly yet. But he probably talked to Itaru-san, didn’t he? Juza wondered what he said. 

Not ready to see him yet, huh?

That was fair.

Juza rolled over, glancing at the top of the room to their room. Settsu wouldn’t come back tonight. He wouldn’t see him until tomorrow.

-0-

It was like a scene straight out of a movie.

Hyodo was waiting by the station entrance as crowds of people walked passed him, minding their own business. He was staring emptily into the distance, eyes leveled. His hair was its usual pushed-back mess. Some pommade would do him great. Maybe he ought to buy him some.

Banri ran out of time to figure out just how he was going to tackle his approach.

He slowed his steps, hoping he had just a few moments more before Hyodo noticed his arrival. It was less than a moment. Their gazes met. Hyodo’s eyes lit up immediately. A reaction so pure, so unpracticed and sincere. It drove a stake right through Banri’s heart. 

_ … what the hell? What’s he doing being so cute? _

Banri cleared his throat. “Yo.”

“Yo.”

“You could’ve waited. We could’ve left the dorm together.”

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me.”

“Sorry for making you wait then…” Banri sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. 

Hyodo grinned. “You? Apologizing to me?”

“Shut up.” Banri punched his shoulder light, relieved that Hyodo was acting normal. “Don’t we have a movie to get to? I’ve been really excited for this.”

“Our date, or the film?”

“Wow. Who taught you to flirt like this?”

“Might be you, actually.”

The theatre was only a station away, but the station was strangely crowded for a random autumn saturday. Banri wondered if maybe there was an event going on somewhere, but the thought didn’t last long after they squeezed themselves into a packed train.

Just when he thought he had some measure of calm, Banri found himself squeezed together with the subject of his mind’s storm. The other boy was slightly taller than him, but the sight of his back pressed against the doors as they closed, careful to leave  _ some  _ space between them, was really…  _ something.  _

“It’s just one station.”

“Mm,” Banri replied, half-heartedly, trying to focus on literally anything else.

The train jerked forward.

Banri lost his footing, thrusting face first against Hyodo. He turned towards him, to apologize, finding their lips dangerously close. Hyodo’s hard gaze pierced through him like lightning. Banri felt his heart crush in his chest, threatening to sink into his stomach. He could feel the desire emanate from Hyodo in waves. His eyes were practically screaming. Hardly a muscle in Hyodo’s face ever moved, but his eyes, he had learned, were just so expressive.

Banri was in danger.

It seemed like any second now, Hyodo would inch forward. Just the slightest movement would do it. It would be almost imperceptible. Natural. Like all was right in the fabric of the universe. And Banri wanted it. He wanted to feel Hyodo’s lips again. The shape of them against his own, tentatively pressing, coaxing. He’d be hesitant and excited. Banri could lose himself there. Like he did every other time they kissed. Goddamn. Was he that desperate? Did he really want to kiss him that badly?

The train doors opened and Hyodo stepped back, extending a hand as people squeezed out and walked past them. He had a grin on his face. That hit a nerve, but Banri took the other boy’s hand nonetheless and squeezed as hard as he could. 

“Don’t get cocky!”

Hyodo chuckled. “I’m not!”

They didn’t let go of each other as they made their way to the cinema. They were gathering some looks, but Banri ignored them. He felt as if he’d  _ lose  _ if he let go now and, besides, Hyodo seemed so… unapologetically happy. 

Ugh.

Is this it? Has he gone soft? No. He couldn’t. Banri couldn’t let himself just get swept away by this. Weren’t they just rivals a week ago? Were feelings that easy to turn around? Why did Hyodo accept it so easily? Didn’t he think about this? 

Someone had to think about this.

“Do you want to get popcorn?”

But Hyodo stood there and Banri couldn’t help but think about how stunning he was, about how nice it would be to do this every week, every day. Why didn’t he see it before? Were his feelings clouded in that much self-pity? That much jealousy and self-loathing? Did he always feel this way? Under the surface? The thought scared Banri. That he could have  _ that  _ much denial. That he could be so blind.

Banri smiled. “Yeah. We can get one of those combo things. With the candy.”

Hyodo nodded.

“Which one do you want?”

Hyodo looked at the glass case and thought about it. It seemed like maybe he wanted all of them, which wasn’t an option, obviously. 

“Let’s get these. We can share.” Banri didn’t wait for Hyodo to decide, grabbing the first snack he touched when he opened the case. He put it on the counter, ordered the popcorn and paid for it. 

“I would have liked strawberry more.”

“That so?” Banri picked up the bag of popcorn as they left the counter. He plopped one in his mouth, savoring its crunchy, buttery taste. “We can get strawberry next time then.”

“Next time…”

Right.

Next time.

Would there be one of those?

Banri didn’t elaborate. He led the way to their cinema and got the seats all the way up in the back. Center. He did so out of a habit, because this is always where he brought his dates. Made it easy to do other things while the movie was rolling. But, he panicked, realizing as he sat down. Hyodo had happily opened the bag of candy and was eating them so fast, they’d probably be gone by the time the trailers started. So much for sharing. At least it didn’t seem he was worried about Banri’s ulterior motives.

Uh. Did he have ulterior motives?

Damn it. 

The movie started and it took every ounce of Banri’s restraint not to pay Hyodo any mind. He focused on the film. He had really wanted to see it after all. What would be the point of all this if he didn’t watch it? Thankfully, it didn’t take long for him to  _ actually  _ get into it. It was riveting, action-packed. The fight scenes were incredibly filmed and Banri was filled with the overwhelming urge to act.

He wondered if they could somehow upgrade their stage props to be able to pull off harder stunts. It would be nice to do a play like this someday. A train battle? Damn. How fucking cool would that be? 

-0-

“That was  _ so  _ worth it! It looked like the actors all did their own stunts too. I wonder if we’d be able to pull off something like that on stage someday. Bet with our strength, we definitely could.”

They took their time walking down the steps and leaving the theatre.

“Maybe we should ask the director if we can get harnesses.”

“Haha, that’s a great idea. Think Sakyo-san will say it’s out of the budget?”

“Probably.”

“Well, what he doesn’t know can’t kill him, right? If we get the director on our side, she’ll make it work. Besides, if it makes our performances better, then Sakyo-san won’t complain either.”

Hyodo was checking something on his phone, brows furrowed, looking a bit out of sorts. Banri stopped as they stepped outside where they wouldn’t be in the way of people walking by. 

“You alright?” He asked, with mild concern.

“Yeah,” Hyodo quickly put his phone away and brought a finger up to his temple sheepishly. Banri could finally see through the cracks in his composure. So, he wasn’t the only one feeling nervous about all this. Thank god. 

Hyodo was staring at him again, carefully with intense consideration. 

It was the last day of their game of pretend. Tomorrow, one way or another, things would have to go back to normal. 

Banri didn’t know what that meant anymore. Did he even care about winning anymore? Did he ever? He grabbed Hyodo’s hand and dragged him into a nearby alley, away from onlookers. He pinned him against the wall.

“How… How much did you mean what you said?” Banri hated how vulnerable he sounded. Part of him wanted Hyodo to say it was part of the game. That he was just trying to win. He could clean himself of all of this. It would’ve been a fun exercise. Banri would concede this match. 

“I’m really in love with you, Settsu.”

Hyodo said it again. Effortlessly. And Banri felt his heart squeeze into itself.

“What does that mean? What do you want from me?” Banri panicked. “What are we--”

Before he could finish, Hyodo kissed him. Gently, with a bit of cautious hesitation. It was his first time doing this. Banri was caught off guard, not expecting it, even though he should’ve. Hyodo pressed against his lips, his arms wrapping around Banri’s waist to bring him in closer. Banri’s opened his mouth to let Hyodo’s tongue in and he brought his own arms around the other boy’s neck. Their tongues twisted together. Banri tasted sugary sweetness mixed with buttery popcorn, but all he could smell was Hyodo’s comforting autumn scent. The smell of his sweat, his essence. It drove him crazy.

Lips folded over each other as Banri tilted his head into the kiss, letting Hyodo explore as he desired. The other boy was as hungry as he was.

Banri pulled away eventually. “Don’t change the subject!” He said, meaning only half of that frustration.

Hyodo had an anxious smile on his moist lips. He seemed apologetic, but happy. “I want to go out with you. It’s mutual, isn’t it?”

“What gave you that impression?”

“You know,” Hyodo cupped Banri’s chin between his fingers. “At least. I’d like to think you’re not as shallow as you pretend to be, Settsu.”

The way Hyodo said his name sent chills through his body. 

“I hate you.”

Hyodo smiled. “So?”

“I just… I need time to think about this more.” 

Hyodo let go of his chin. “That’s fair. But, you do like me back, don’t you?”

Banri felt his cheeks get red. “Don’t get cocky.”

Hyodo chuckled again. “I guess it’s about time we head back to the dorms then?”

“Yeah.”

-0-

<juza> we’re on our way. 10 minutes.

Just in time. They had finished all the preparations only about fifteen minutes ago. The balloons were all up. Everyone was stationed in the living room, ready to jump out as soon as they heard the footsteps. Omi was holding the cake. Muku was by the lights. And Juza’s text meant they were just about here.

“Huh? Why’s it so dark in here?”

“Dunno.”

Izumi heard Banri and Juza’s voices from the front door as they stepped inside and made their way to the living room. Banri wondered out loud why it was so quiet. Wasn’t everyone supposed to be home today? What was going on? Izumi was so happy. He really did have no idea what was going on! Good job, Juza! 

Footsteps entered the room.

The lights flipped on.

Confetti and streamers launched all around, dressing the guest of honor in colorful paper.

A look of surprise and confusion dressed itself on Banri’s face.

“Happy birthday, Banri-kun!”

Everyone exclaimed all at once as Sakuya helped Omi light the birthday cake candles and Taichi ran over to put a party hat on Banri’s head.

“You-- wha--”

Izumi ran over to Juza. “He really got him!”

Juza smiled and patted Banri on the back. “Surprise?”

Banri stared at the other boy with a face that was processing a dozen feelings all at once. “I… I need a minute.”

And he ran off just as Omi was bringing the cake.

Izumi had question marks in her eyes. “Um, did something happen?”

“Oh no. Did it go badly Juchan?” Muku interjected.

“Did what go bad?” Izumi was confused.

“It’s nothing. I’ll go get him.”

Izumi watched Juza lumber off after his troupe leader.

“Anyone going to fill me in?”

Half the present party did not look like they wanted to be the ones to elaborate.

-0-

Juza found Settsu in the garden, sitting on the bench looking at the flowerbed full of flowers Tsumugi takes care of every day. 

“Fuck,” Settsu looked up to see who was approaching and promptly hid his face in his hands.

“Overwhelmed?”

“ _ This  _ is the real reason we started hanging out, isn’t it?”

Juza sat down next to him. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

“But I’m glad we did.”

“What?”

“Started ‘hanging out’.” 

Settsu glanced away, still hiding half his face under his hand. “What did you tell them?”

“Nothing.” Juza paused. “Oh, I guess Muku knows.”

“Fair…” Settsu sighed. “I told Itaru.”

“I don’t mind if everyone knows.” 

“Do you hear yourself? No way. Besides, it’s not like  _ I  _ agreed to anything yet.”

Juza was convinced Settsu would give up eventually. It seemed inevitable, but he was willing to let the other boy have the time needed to accept it.

“I got you a birthday gift by the way.”

“No way.”

“I did.” Juza reached into his coat and held out a disentanglement puzzle. “You’re good at these, aren’t you?”

Settsu finally turned towards him and lowered his hands to grab the puzzle. He grinned. “I’m good at  _ everything _ , I’ll have you know.”

“Sure.”

Settsu started fiddling with the puzzle. “But thanks… I appreciate it.”

“Happy birthday then, Settsu.”

Juza leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on the other boy’s cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- My other fic "Worship Like A Dog" probably happens sometime after the end of this, so if you're hungry for more, check that fic out?  
> \- Originally, Banri was going to be a lot more pissed off about Juza "tricking" him-- but after writing a few chapters, I realized that dramatic plot didn't make sense with my characterization of him so.... this fic turned out a lot more Soft.  
> \- Sorry they're not together yet y'all! Maybe someday! At least they kissed a bunch!
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading everyone. This is the first "long" fic I've actually managed to finished in YEARS and I'm decently happy with it so. I appreciate all the kind comments you've left on it! Love you all!
> 
> (Oh yeah, follow me on twitter @prinxe_ein if you want! I honestly tweet more about FFXIV but, I'd appreciate more people to talk to about A3 <3)


End file.
